Ore-washer.



No. 629,947. Patented Aug. l, |399- E."J. BEVEHSTOCK.

R E WA S H E B (Application filed Jan. 8, 1698.)

FIIIIIIIL ylllllll!!lllllimlllllllllilu-"wu llllllmum cul 1' I lss themachine.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVIN J. BEVERSTOOK, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ORE-WASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,947, dated August1, 1899.

Application filed January 8, 1898. Serial No. 666,072; (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern: Y v

Beit known that I, EDWIN J. BEvERsTooK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at' is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relatesto ore-Washers or separators intended for thepurpose of separating gold-from gravel or sandas practiced in what isknown as placer-mining, although the invention may be employed in theother arts for the separation of matter comprising constituents ofvarying specific gravity.

Among several objects in View are the provision of a cheap, simple, andserviceable apparatus which shall rapidly separate particles of goldfrom gold-bearing earth or gravel and which can be operated for thepurpose in View with a minimum quantity of water, and, furthermore, ifnecessary-as, for example, when used. in the winter season or in verycold climates-*provision is made for heatingl the contents of themachine to prevent the same from freezing and facilitate the separationof the goldtherefrom.

Another object of the invention is to thoroughly agitate the material tobe operated upon with the least vexpenditure of power and, in additionto simply moving such ma-` terial over a screening-surface, to producebyu the action of the machine a rolling motionV or inversion of `theearth or other vmaterial being Washed, so as to Constantly present new'`portionsthereof to the screening-surface of tion at the top of thelargerstones and coarser gravel contained therein, which facilitates theaccess of the finer portions of the earth to the screening-surface.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a machine whichshall agitate the screened portions of the earth being acted upon insuch a manner that the lighter constituents are separated from thebottom of the compartment in which such screened material is collectedand are mechanically forced along and out of said compartment, while theheaviest or most precious portions of the lines at the left of Fig.'3.

after. i l

In this inversion of the mate` rial there is also secured a constantcollecscreened matter, such as particles or grains of gold, by theirsuperior specific gravlty are retained within and upon the bottom of themachine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be mentionedhereinafter in the following description, and the novel features thereofwill be particularly pointed out in the 6o to show a detail otherwiseundiscernible.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the screeningmember of the machine. Fig. 3 isa vertical central longitudinal section of the machine, and Fig. 4 is afire-box constructed and adapted for use in connection with the machine.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalfigure of the drawings. l

A represents a tank which may be supported; by any suitable means-as forexample, legs A--and which comprises in its makeup a curved bottom A2.The bottom of the tank may be continuously curved on a true circle, asindicated by dotted lines A3, or at one or both ends the said tank maybe formed on a 'circle of greater radius than the curvature of itscentral portion, as shown by full The object of this diversion from atrue circular curving of the bottomjof the tank will be The tank A isherein shown as provided .with certain appurtenances which render themachine capable of more convenient use, but which appurtenances are notessentialto the main or principal objects of the invention,

and they may therefore be omitted, as will be hereinafter furtherexplained.

A4 A4 represent ribs, grooves, pockets, or'

explained hereinrifles formed crosswise of the bottom of the tank, andthey may be in number increased or decreased in practice and may extendover a greater or less portion of the bottom.

A5 A5 represent openings which are eX- tended across the ends of thetank and are closed by means of doors AiA, supported, from the ends ofthe tank by hinges A7. These doors may be or may not be facedwith. anysuitable packing A? for insuring a water-A IOO tight closure of theopenings A5. To facilitate the manipulation of the doors A5, there areprovided at each side of the tank levers A5, pivoted to the side of thetank at A9 and having pivotally connected rods A10, connected with thelever at A11, at points upon each side of the pivot A9. The rods A10 areconnected with the doors A6 by passing through the same, and saidconnection is rendered adjustable by means of nuts A12, one upon eachside of the door. A catch or stop A13 may be employed to retain thedoors in a closed position by swinging the lever A8 against the end ofthe stop. Now it will be seen that by rotating the lever A8 upon itspivot in one direction the door at each end of the tank is swungoutwardly, so as to permit the escape of water or other material fromthe opening A5, while the opposite move-r ment of the lever to theposition shown in Fig. 1 closes the doors over said openings. It isreadily seen that by changing the position of the nuts uponthe rods thetightness with which the doors may be drawn toward each other may bevaried, so as to take up wear and to insure a water-tight closure ofsaid openings.

The screening member of the machine consists of a basket B, havingjournals B', adapted to be operatively supported in bearings A14. in thesides ofthe tank A. The bottom of' the screening member B is curved in asubstantially true semicircular form, but of a radius somewhat less thanthat ofr the tank at its mid-length, so that when suspended within thetank there is a space D between the bottom of the screening member andthat of the tank. Handles B3X are secured to the basket in any suitablemanner and are the means employed for oscillating the basket upon itsjournals. The bottom B3 of the basket is perforated overa greater orless portion thereof, and the perforations B4 may be either plain or mayhave depending flanges B5, as shown. If hanged, they may be disposedeither longitudinally or transversely of the bottom. In this instancethe anges B5 at the mid-portion of the bottom of the basket are shown astransverse, while those at the end portions are disposed longitudinallyof the bottom. The transverse disposition of the flanges aids materiallyin the operation of separating the screened matter, as hereinafterdescribed.

Cy C represent transverse splasher-bars, which are secured on the bottomof the basket in` any suitable manner and which are provided withstirring pins or staples C. At each end of the basket there is atransverse flange B5, the purpose of which is to prevent the falling ofmaterial from the basket into the tank when the' basket is oscillatedupon its bearings. Projecting from one end of the basket and at eachside thereof are pins or lugs B7, the purpose of which is to support thebasket upon the end of the tan-k during the operation of dumpingmaterial from the .the opening A5.

basket. Below the opening A5,at the frontend of the machine, there isatrough A15, which'is intended to collect the water passing through 'theopenings A5 when the doors A6 are open and to conduct the same o at oneside of the machine, and thus protect the operator when using themachine.

E, Fig. 4, represents a fire-box, the sides of which are intended toclose the space between the legs at the ends and sides ot' the machineand the top of which is cut away, as at E', to fit the lower surface ofthe tank A. Troughs E2 are formed upon the fire-box to prevent access ofwater to any fire therein by conducting said water sidewise away fromthe machine. In using the machine in cold weather it is set over thefire-box, which serves to confine the heat upon the bottom of the tankand to protect the sides and the legs of the machine when constructedot' wood from the fire.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Water is supplied by anysuitable means and in anysuitable manner to keep the tank filled, andwhile the earth t0 be washed is being shoveled or otherwise placed intothe basket the basket is swung upon its pivots, it being readily seenthat while the earth is washed earth roll downwardly upon the finerportions.

within the basket at each eXtreme throw of the basket, so that by continuouslyoscillating the basket (which having the weight of its load belowits center of support enablesthe operator to work upon large masses ofearth, thereby requiring the exertion of much less power than inmachines where the point of support is below the load) there is not onlya continuous sliding motion upon the screening-surface, but a rolling orinverted motion of the earth within the basket, and the whole beingconstantly submerged the result is a very rapid reduction of the earthwithin the basket and also a rapid passage of the finer particlesthrough the screening-perforations B1 of the basket down into the spaceD between it and the bottom of the tank. As such finer particles collectin the bottom of the tank they are first stirred up and agitated by thepins or staples C, and when thus agitated are thrown by the splasherbarsC forward and backward and ont of the machine over the delivery end ofthe tank and when present and not closed out through As illustrated, thetank is shown with a delivery end lower than the opposite end. Ifdesired, both ends of the tank may be depressed from a horizontal lineinstead of one, as shown; but for the better protection of the operatoragainst overflowing water and dirt the front end of the machine is notherein shown so depressed. It is found by experience that thesplasherbars C during their movement from the front to the rear of themachine effectu-ally perform the function of discharging the water IIOIZO

carrying the lighter particles of the screened material, so that thedepression of the front end of the machine while advancing thatoperation is not an essential, and hence the elevation of one end'of themachine for the protection of the operator. The operation abovedescribed-swinging the basket, supplying the water in proportion as itis thrown out with the ner particles of the screened material,and thefeeding of material to be washedhaving been continued for a suitabletime,

the doors A6 are opened for the purpose of finally cleaning up. Beforedescribing` this portion of the operation it is proper to state that inaccordance with the richness of the dirt in gold and with the size ofthe machine employed the operation of oscillating the basket and feedingthe dirt thereto may be continued from one hour, more or less, toonehalf a day or to a whole day before opening the doors A6andconducting the final operation of cleaning up. From the above it willbe seen that by my invention it is possible to wash a large mass ofpay-dirt without the necessity of a final cleaning up. During thisprolonged process of washing, however,the accumulated coarser gravel orrocks are dumped from the machine by lifting the basket B by means ofthe handle B3 until the journals ride upon the edges. of the sides ofthe tank, when the basket is drawn toward the front end and the lugs B7rested thereupon, thus forming a center upon which the basket may betilted until all of the contents thereof may be dumped upon the ground.The basket is then returned to its bearings and the washing processcontinued.

After the washing process has been continued for a desired period itwill be found that there is within the bottom of the tank a depth ofscreened or washed matter practically equal to the length of thestirring pins or staples O'. This screened and washed matter extendsacross the bottom of the tank and contains all of the gold which wasoriginally in the pay-dirt before washing, except that which may becaught andheld by the riflles` is swung upon its bearings backward andforward, and by means of the splasher-bars C and the pins or staples thematter in the tank is agitated and the lighter portions are thrownforward and backward to be expelled through the openings A5. In thisoperation the oscillations of the basket are less pronounced than whenthe doors are closed oversaid openings, and any gold particles that arethrown toward said openings drop by their greater spe-l my invention maybe secured without the emv ployment of all or of the particular detailsof the construction herein shown, and the invention is therefore notlimited to the same, and it is apparent that the proportions of theparts in some respects may be changed without a ity of the machine, andthe same maybe opc erated by artificial rather than manual power, ifdesired. It is also apparent that in order to secureV a lower point ofdischarge which' the openings A5 provide in cleaning up said openingsmay be omitted and the front end of the machine elevated to produce thesame result, so that the invention is not dependent upon an apparatusprovided with such openings anddoors as shown. So,also,the splasherbarsmay be omitted, because the action of the screening-basket upon thewater and screened matter below it serves to discharge the same over theend of the'tank, and this action occurs whether the bottom of the basketbe curved or not, and hence the invention is not limited in theserespects.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

l. In a machine of the class described, pivotally-suspended baskethaving a curved screening-bottom in combination with a stationary tankhaving an imperforate bottom of similar curvature; substantially asspecified.

2. A machine of the class described comprisin g a pivotally-suspendedscreening-basket having a curved bottom and a tank having a bottomsimilarly curved at its lower portion and outwardly deflected at thedischarge end thereof.

3. A machineiof the class described comprising in its make-up apivotally-suspended screening-basket having an open top and curvedbottom with exterior transverse splasher-bars thereon. A

4.. In a machine of the class described,4 a pivotally-suspendedscreening-basket having a perforated bottom curved on a circle derivedfrom the center of support of the basket whereby the load carried by thebasket is supported below its center of motion in combination with atank having a similarly-curved im-perforate bottom.

5. In a machine of the class described, a basket pivotally supported forswinging and IOO iro

l having a curved bottom, in combination with 8. The combination with aswinging basket.

having a curved bottom provided with flanged perforations, of agitatingdevices secured to said bottom and projecting below said lian ges;substantially as specified.

9. The combination of a pivotalIy-snspendj ed basket having a curvedperforated bottom,

with atank having a similarly-curved bottom provided with an opening atone end' of said' basket, and means for closing said opening;substantially as specified.

' l0.- The combination with a swinging basket having a curved perforatedbottom provided with agitators projecting therefrom, ofastationarytankhavingacurvedbottomwith openings therein at oppositesides, doors for closing said openings, and means for opening andclosing the doors.

11. In a machine-of the class described, a

pivotally-snspended basket having a curved perforated bottom, astationary tank having a curved bottom, and a fire-box adapted to fitthe bottom of the tank; substantially as specia ed.

12. The combination with a screening-basket, of a tank, and a fire-boxadapted to Ii-t the tank and provided with troughs'.

13. The combination with a tank having openings, of doors for saidopenings', a pivoted lever, rods extending from the doors, di= rectly toand connected at opposite sides of the pivot of said lever for operatingsaid doors; substantially as specified.

14. The combination with a tank, of a -pivotally-suspended basketmounted therein and provided with diametrically-projecting lugsprojecting from the ends of the basket; substantially as specified.

15. The combination of a perforated pivotally-suspended screening-basketand a sta-v EDWIN J. BEVERSTO'CK.

Witnesses:

ALFRED T. GAGE, E. B. S'rocKING.

